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The Livingston Police Department and more than 20 of Essex County’s local municipalities held a “Heroes’ Salute” parade past Saint Barnabas Medical Center on Tuesday, April 14, to recognize “the incredible efforts of medical staff battling the coronavirus.” Essex County has the third highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Jersey.

Joined by over 50 cars, the procession displayed signs, banners, posters and flags to pay tribute to the men and women fighting COVID-19 at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. The parade included first responders and police, fire, and first aid vehicles from Livingston, West Orange, East Hanover, South Orange, North Caldwell, Caldwell, Roseland, Millburn, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the Orange ECPO, Belleville, Bloomfield, East Orange, Nutley, Essex County Sherriff, Maplewood, and West Caldwell

The Livingston Public Schools will hold a public forum at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, about the school budget for the 2020-21 academic year.

The meeting will be livestreamed on the LPS Facebook page, @livschools. Members of the public who wish to ask a question or make a comment during the meeting must email their name, address and question or comment to budgetquestions@livingston.org.

The budget, which may be read in this issue of the West Essex Tribune, was adopted on Wednesday, March 18, in order to submit it to the state for review. The total budget of $128,944,023 is within the allowable two percent cap. The tax increase on the average Livingston home, valued at $700,000, is $199.

As of Wednesday morning, April 15, the Essex County health department has reported that a total of 305 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Thirty-four of those residents have died as a result of the virus.

A number of these cases stem from two long term care facilities in town, including at least “12 to 14” of the deaths, according to township health officer Lou Anello. COVID-19 positive patients at those facilities are now isolated from the rest of the population, aside from staff assigned to care for them, and the township is hopeful that cases out of these facilities will slow as a result.

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Livingston, along with the rest of northern New Jersey, endured a fierce rain and wind storm on Monday, April 13, that, fortunately, did relatively little damage in the township. According to the National Weather Service, the storm saw sustained winds of up to 35 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, and dumped 2.32 inches of rain on the township.

“Fortunately, this was a fairly uneventful storm,” said Mike Anello, Department of Public Works (DPW) supervisor. “There were no sustained power outages or major damage in Livingston.”

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Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) quickly re-invented itself to service regular distribution associates during the pandemic, noted founder and director Jeff Friedman. “Through the continued generosity of Livingston residents, LPI had just enough funding this week to purchase a full pallet of bottled waters to provide for the homeless and profoundly poor.”
He expressed “special thanks to Mike, owner of National Spring Water in Haledon, for splitting one pallet, his minimum order, into two parts, for delivery to two food pantries/soup kitchens. He was pleased to help folks in such dire need. I hope to call Mike again soon with another order!”
Splitting 2,016 bottles on the pallet, the Bessie Green Community and the Apostles’ House, both in Newark, each received 1,008 individual bottles of spring water to distribute to those out on the streets, in shelters, or staying in other situations, Friedman explained.

Livingston Public School District has announced its 2019-20 Teachers of the Year and Educational Services Professional of the Year. Teachers of the Year are chosen for the honor by their colleagues; the Educational Services Professional of the Year is chosen by administrators.

Burnet Hill: Susan Fjeldal

Susan Fjeldal, a second grade teacher at Burnet Hill Elementary School, has been teaching in Livingston for two decades. She earned her bachelor's degree from Kean University and a master of science degree in technology from Ramapo College.

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At the livestreamed Township Council meeting on Monday, April 6, Livingston Police Chief Gary Marshuetz provided an update on the department and the town, as residents and businesses continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our staff is on the front lines of this virus and they are doing well,” Chief Marshuetz said. “We are pretty much intact due to protocols put in place and taken seriously early. [Regarding] staffing levels, no issues to report.”

He said that the department also currently has a sufficient amount of personal protective equipment (PPE).

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The number of Livingston residents with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, continues to rise, as do numbers across the county, state, country, and global population. Cases more than doubled in town in the past week, as some long-term care facilities have dealt with outbreaks.

As of Wednesday morning, April 8, the Essex County health department has reported that a total of 217 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Eighteen of those residents have died as a result of the virus. In Essex County overall, there were 5,565 positive tests as of Wednesday morning. At least 276 county residents have died from complications related to COVID-19 as of that time.

Farmer and former Livingston resident Andy Goldman, who has temporarily returned to his hometown in between jobs on farms in upstate New York and eastern Pennsylvania, has been creating a garden for his mom at her home on North Baums Court. He advocates gardening as a perfect solution to the problem of obtaining fresh vegetables in a time of pandemic. “With social distancing becoming the new norm, a trip to the supermarket for fresh fruits and vegetables might make you hesitate,” he says. “But, Livingston’s climate makes for productive gardens that can give you a family’s worth of salads, vegetables, herbs, and much more. All you need is a portion of your yard, sunlight, water, and most of all, good soil.”

Soil, Not “Dirt”

Livingston Philanthropies Inc. (LPI) founder and director Jeff Friedman says the Livingston-based charity is continuing to help the homeless during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This week’s LPI photo is our friend, Bob, who has resided on the same bench on Newark’s Route 21 (McCarter Highway) for years now,” said Friedman. “Like the 1991 movie starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus, we like to ask ‘What About Bob?’
“When we’re in Newark delivering to our distribution associates, we stop to see Bob for a quick hand-off of money, toiletries, a heavy winter coat and whatever else we may have at the time. Bob is homeless. His world is the cold streets, or Penn Station when the temperature drops.”